Race for Borough President Sharpens Rivalries in Bronx

By JONATHAN P. HICKS

Published: February 26, 2001

The upheaval and wrangling produced by term limits has made for lively political theater in virtually every sector of New York City. But few dramas rival the one in the Bronx, where an open seat for borough president is already creating signs of political warfare and discord among Democrats.

With Fernando Ferrer, the borough president since 1987, running for mayor, about a half-dozen or so aspirants to the borough presidency are in some stage of evaluating the prospect of succeeding him.

One candidate who has officially entered the Democratic primary is State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. Last Tuesday, Mr. Espada announced that he felt compelled to run for borough president.

The candidacy of Mr. Espada, who operates a large health care organization in the Bronx and commands a political organization of considerable heft, has effectively drawn battle lines anew with the Democratic Party organization. Mr. Espada and his camp have tangled repeatedly with the organization in a number of races, including last year's primary, when Mr. Espada defeated Senator David Rosado, who had the support of the Democratic organization, to reclaim the seat he had held a few years before.

The Democratic organization says it is determined to put forth a strong candidate in the primary. But precisely who that candidate will be is uncertain. For the last two years, José Rivera, an assemblyman and a major strategist in the Bronx Democratic organization, has been planning his campaign. But others with close ties to the organization are also looking seriously at running, most significantly City Councilman Adolfo Carrión Jr. Another potential candidate is Jose L. Ithier, the president of the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation and a former chief of staff to Mr. Ferrer.

The rivalry within the party organization has caused some to view the race through the lens of ethnic politics in a borough whose population is expected to show major gains for Hispanics and blacks when the 2000 census figures are released. The fact that Mr. Espada, Mr. Rivera, Mr. Carrión and Mr. Ithier are Hispanic has given hope to the supporters of other candidates. For example, Councilwoman June M. Eisland said she was exploring a run for borough president. And her supporters suggest that a non-Hispanic white woman would see her chances improved in a race crowded with Hispanic men. Another entertaining that notion is Councilman Wendell Foster, who said a black candidate would fare well under such circumstances.

Willie Colon, the salsa musician who ran for Congress in 1994, said over the weekend that he was a candidate. And former Councilman Israel Ruiz Jr. is said to be giving some thought to entering the race.

The Democratic organization seems most likely to put its political muscle behind either Mr. Rivera or Mr. Carrión. Mr. Rivera, 63, has a long history in Bronx politics and has helped to engineer the election of many other Democrats. He was a councilman for more than a dozen years before being elected to the Assembly last year, winning the seat vacated by Roberto Ramirez, the Bronx Democratic Party chairman.

But the prospect of Mr. Rivera's candidacy has divided many Bronx politicians. Some criticize him for operating in a manner they consider too casual and for having a speaking style that they say lacks Mr. Ferrer's polish. And those politicians are urging him to remain in the Assembly and to support one of the other candidates. Others are fiercely loyal, saying that the careers of Mr. Ferrer and other leading politicians in the borough are tied directly to Mr. Rivera's support. And they suggest that his years in politics have helped him to forge close ties with black and Jewish residents.

Although for two years he has maintained that he would be a candidate this year, Mr. Rivera is now somewhat cautious. He said he had been so focused on his son Joel, who won a special election last week to the Council seat formerly held by Mr. Rivera himself, that he had not had time to make a decision. Joel Rivera defeated Edwin Ortiz, who was endorsed by Mr. Espada.

Mr. Carrión, 39, was somewhat more straightforward. "I have found that there is a great deal of interest in my candidacy around the borough, and I'm taking a serious look at running for borough president," he said. "And I think a decision on my part will be made in the next 30 days." While Mr. Carrión is viewed by many as part of a group of young, up-and-coming politicians in the borough, he nonetheless has been criticized for appearing overly ambitious by not deferring to Mr. Rivera.

In this climate, there has been a simmering distrust among many of these politicians. But Mr. Ramirez said the Democratic organization would work things out over the next few months.

Watching the maneuvering is Mr. Espada, 47, who said that he was firmly in the race and that the positioning of candidates within the party organization was irrelevant to most voters. "All of this talk and back-room dealing is typical of the machine," Mr. Espada said.